Speed-indicator.



No. 849,851. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

E. C. OLIVER.

SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. Z, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 1.

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v x. .9 Z 7 M E y ggd/@JUL No 849,851. PATEN'I'ED APR. 9, 1907.

E C OLIVER SPEED INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

narran srafrns @TEN .t ...I w BDD C. GLIVER, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,ASSIGNUR 0F ONE-HALF FlChl.

TO IIE. FENCE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SPEED-molestos.

ne. crassa.

Specification (1f/Letters Patent.

atented April 9, 1907;

Application led August 2, 1906. Serial No. 328,831. A

The object of iny invention is to provide 'speed-indicator of simplebutdurable construction and one which will be positive and reliable in itsaction.

A. further object is to provide an indicator having a dial with uniformspaces between the graduations.

A `further object is to provide a 'speedindicator which will be accuratefor low as' V a ring centrally pivoted thereon and provided with acani-surface and having operative connections with an indicatin'gehand,

and a spring arranged to bear on said ca1n. surl'acc and put undertension by the oscilla-- tion of said ring when said shaft is revolved.l

Further, the invention consists in'various constructions Aandcombinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointedontin the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming part ol this specification, Figure-1 is a vertical sectional view of a speed-indicator embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view of the dial. Fig. 3 is a rear view. Fi l isa view similar to Fig. 1, showing the ringl thrown out bycentrilugal'iorce. Fig. 5 is a view illustrating the mechanism fortransmitting the movement of said ring to'suitable registers employed inconnection with the indicating device.

In the drawings, 2 represents a casing or housing wherein the operatingparts ci the indicator are mounted.

3 is .a shaft connected by any suitable means (not shown) with someInc-ving part of the automobile whose speed it is desired tof indicateor with a piece of stationary Ina-1.

chinery on which the indicating device may be used. This shalt hasball-bearings e at each end in said housing and aslot l between saidbearings inclosed by a pivoted ring 6.#

This ring normally occupies the position indicated in Fig. 1 in a planeat an acute position substantially at right angles to the j shaft.Theshalt is providedwitlli a socket '7, wherein the end 8 oi a spring 9is inserted. This spring is substantially U-shaped in iorm, the end 8forming a depending extension oi one side, while the opposite side orend ol the spring extends horizontally through-,the slot 5 in the shaft.

A plate 10 is fastened in the ring 6 and has a cani-surface 11, whichengages the free end olY the spring i) and rocks thereon during theoscillation ol the ring. When the ring is Y oscillated by the revolutionof the shaft, the

cam-surface will rock on the free end of the spring and lift upward onthe same, gradually putting it under tension, the power of the springbeing exerted to hold the cani and ring in their normalpositions withrespect to the shalt. The increase in the tension oi' the spring will beaccurately determined commensurate with the travel of the ringnso thatthe motion can be transmitted by suitable mechanism to an indicatingdevice. Any suitable mechan ism may be employed; but I preferv the oneshown herein, which consists 0i a pin l2, slidably mounted in a socket13 intheupper part oi the shaft 3 and carrying an .arm la; which isconnected withy the late 10 by a link 15. As the ring 6 is osci ated bycentriugal force and the cani-surface rocks on the spring and puts itunder tension the pin will be gradually raised, its movementheing'proportional to he speed, and engaging an arm 16 on a rock-shalt 17 willoscillate the same and cause a corresponding movement to an arm i8',provided at its lower end with a shaft 3 is revolved, the ring will.begin to oscillate, and as it moves toward a horizontal position thecamfsurf'ace ll will rock on the spring, and as the tension of thespring is proportionate tothe distance between the raduations on thedial the ratio of increase in the speed of revolution of the shaft willbe accurately .transmitted from the centrifugal ring to theindicator-hand, and the driver of the automobile er the machineattendant can determine instantly by glancing at the dial how "eat aspeed the machine has attained. soon as the speed slaekens thecentrifugal ring will swing to its former position, the spring will berelieved of its tension, and the indicatonhand will be allowed' toreturn to zero. Vhen the ring er the weight is in its normal position,(at rest,) the spring and'canlwillbe in contact at the center etoscillation of the rinU-weight, Where the leverage is' zero, and la cateaccurately a very low speed.

It will be noted in this device that for any s eedthe center of mass ofthe revolving ring loes not'v move away from, but remains at the centeret rotation. of the shaft and also at the center of oscillation of theweight, a condi` tion which prevents any vibration er jarring of theindicator-hand due to the shaking of the instrument as the machinepasses over rough roads. It will also be seen that in my im rovedconstruction as the speed increases an the earn and spring rock one uponthe other that while the leverage on the cam is increased the length ofthe spring is also increased and its tension thereby weakened, with theresult that the length of contactsurface on the cam is increased and amore accurate outline tor the cam provided, all el which is particularlyessential for low speeds.

l claim as my inventienl. A speed-indicating device actuated bycentrifugal force, com prising a rotating spindie, a spring mountedthereon, a ring centrally pivoted on said spindle, a cam mounted on saidring and adapted to rock on said spring, and said spring1 being putunder tension by the outward movement ol said ring, a dial having;runiform graduations and an indicator-hand. arranged to travel over saidgraduations and operatively connected with said cam, substantially asdescribed.

2. A speed-indicating device comlnisinga rotating spindle or shall. aring centrally pivoted thereon and normally in an oblique positionwithrespeet to said spindle but adapted to swing toward a horizontalposition as the am thus able to indi-4 .tlie spindle rises, a

oneend mounted in said spindle and its h'ee. .end extending transversely.with respect stessi speed rises, a spring mounted'on said spindle, acam mounted on said ring and arranged to bear onsaid spring and movehack and forth thereon with the oscillation of said ring, and a dialhaving an indicating-mind operatively connected with said cam,substantially as described. u l

3. An indicating dey/icc eomprisin'f a 1rotating spindle, a ringcentrally pivoted thereon, and adapted to swing from an oblirpie towarda horizontal position when the speed oll Ll-shaped spring havingthereto, a cam'mounted on said ring and having a. surface engaging thefree end of said spring and adapted to rock thereon, the cl'- feetivelength of. the spring increasing as the cam-surface moves outwardlythereon, and a dial having an indicating-hand operatively lconnectedwith said cam.

4. ln a speed-indicating device, a rotating ring adapted to swingoutwardly by centrifugal force from the axis of rotation, a cani mountedon said ring, a dial having uniform graduations and an indicating-handopera-- tively connected'with said cam, and a spring arranged to bear onsaid cani and whose effective length increases with the oscillation ofsaid ring from its axis of rotation, substantially as described.

5. ln a speed-indicating device actuated by centrifugal force, thecombination with a rotating spindle, ol a ring' pivoted thereon, thecenter of mass of said ring remaining substantially at the center ofrot-ation during the oscillation ol the ring, a. cam mounted on saidring and passing substantially through the center el oscillation, aspring acting on said cam the ell'eetive length ol" said spring beingincreased as the speed ol rotation increases, an indicating device andmeans for transmitting the movement of said ring to said indicatingdevice. v

In a speed-imlicating device the combination, with a rotating spindle,olt a weight centrally pivoled thereon7 and having a camsurl'aee andspring arranged to bear on said cam, the etl'ective length of saidspringl being increased as the speed of rotation increases,substantially as4 described.

ln witness whereof l have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of July,1906. y

ritnessesz ltronano Pari., J. B. ERA.

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